Data from: Proactive avoidance behaviour and pace-of-life syndrome in Atlantic salmon
Individuals in a fish population differ in key life history traits such as growth rate and body size. This raises the question of whether such traits cluster along a fast-slow growth continuum according to a pace-of-life syndrome (POLS). Fish species like salmonids may develop a bimodal size distrib...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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Language: | unknown |
Published: |
2019
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:nl:ui:13-1w-yqwh https://easy.dans.knaw.nl/ui/datasets/id/easy-dataset:119138 |
Summary: | Individuals in a fish population differ in key life history traits such as growth rate and body size. This raises the question of whether such traits cluster along a fast-slow growth continuum according to a pace-of-life syndrome (POLS). Fish species like salmonids may develop a bimodal size distribution, providing an opportunity to study the relationships between individual growth and behavioural responsiveness. Here we test whether proactive characteristics (bold behaviour coupled with low post-stress cortisol production) are related to fast growth and developmental rate in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. Boldness was tested in a highly controlled two-tank hypoxia test were oxygen levels were gradually decreased in one of the tanks. All fish became inactive close to the bottom at 70% oxygen saturation. At oxygen saturation level of 40% a fraction of the fish actively sought out to avoid hypoxia. A proactive stress coping style was verified by lower cortisol response to a standardized stressor. Two distinct clusters of bimodal growth trajectories were identified, with fast growth and early smoltification in 80% of the total population. There was a higher frequency of proactive then reactive individuals in this fast-developing fraction of fish. The smolts were associated with higher post-stress plasma cortisol than parr, and the proactive smolts leaving hypoxia had significant lower post-stress cortisol than the stayers. The study demonstrated a link between a proactive coping and fast growth and developmental ratio, and suggests that selection for domestic production traits promotes this trait cluster. |
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